Toy baseball game device



sept. V12, 1950 Filed May 5, 1949 G. GELLER TOY BASEBALL GAME DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 12, 1950 G. GELLl-:R

ToY BAsEBALL GAME DEvIcE 2 sneets-sheet 2 Filed Mayl 3, 1949 O 3 JNVENTOR. kim/vga r Patented Sept. 12,

TOYl BAsEBALL GAME Dlrvlc'i` f George Geller, Yonkers, N. Y, 'Application May 3, 1949, serial No. 91,128

'lThe present inventionirelates vto toys, and, in particular to a toy with which a simulated game of baseball may be played by two or morepeople.

The general objectV of the invention is toprovide. a new, simple, and inexpensive toy baseball game device 'with which two or more people may join in a contest of skill approximating an actual game of baseball.

The invention contemplates apparatus by means of which one player can upitch anl actual ball through the air and over a home plate at not less than a predetermined height thereabove; means for catching'pitched balls passing beyond home plate so as to indicate a strike or "ball" in accordance with the trajectoryvof the pitched ball with respect to the home plate similarly as such pitched balls are scored in the ac-` tual game of baseball; other apparatus in .Simulation of a vbatter standing proximate to home plate, said other apparatus comprising a manikin holding a, miniature bat and means associated with said manikin whereby the same may be caused to swing, the bat into the pathof an oncoming pitched ball witha speed andtiming de termined by the reflex'es' of a second player; and

a simulated baseball field having traps thereon to arrest batted 'balls at particular stations to in-` dicate as of each station a given score `relating to the'game of baseball.

Theinvention oontemplates a toy baseball game device adapted to be played with skill comparab'le to that commonly required byactualbaseball players. One player serves as pitcher, an-

other as batter, and a third may well serve as umpire. The game device is such that superior skillon the part of the pitcher or batter, asthe.

case may be, actually operates to' determine the outcome of the game, which may be played strict ly in accordance with th baseball.

e well known: rules of` i a -40 A special object lof the invention is to provide novel apparatus in a toy baseball game device.

adapted to make possible the use of skill on thef.

part of the player serving as pitcher and to catch a pitched ball passing unht beyond the home plate in such manner that the scoring of the pitch is indicated by the catch. itself,,the ball being pitched by attaching the same to a magnetic pendulumheld out of plumb,.and the .catch being 4seored ini'a'ooordance with the position of rest assumed by said pendulum against afpara'.. magnetiobackboard situated beyond home plate.

A furtherv special object ofthe invntionis to vprovide improved means' for actuating a manikin better whereby the player serving as batter may easilyand rapidly effect batting operation of the, manikin in accordance with` the player's refiexes. on observing the applfoaching'ball.

Afu'rther object of the invention is to provide aparamagnetio playing ball adapted lto adhere to a'magneticpenduluni of predetermined length` Whereby, ina `pitch, theball is prevented froinz pa'ssing over or near home plate at less than a predetermined height thereabove.`

A further object of the invention is to .proo vde a novel toy baseball game device havinga diamond suitably marked upon its field and being providedwith a number of playing pieces. which may be variously positioned from time to., time as theplay progresses so that a cumulativeo visual recordlof theprogress of play ,is avail o able to the players.

jTheseand otherobjects of the invention `wiil be apparent from the following description-and from the drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a. plan view of'the device;

Fig. 2 is afront elevational view-thereof, part-: ly erasedto condense .the figure, and partly broken away in vfront to showinterior features;`

v`Hg. 3 is an ,enlarge d, fragmentary Vertical Seo.- I tion in accordance withthe index 3-3 of Pig. y1;

' Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional viewiof.. the device in accordance with the index 4-4 of-Fig. 1;v

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentarysectional detail showing ,antedge elevational view lof the.

backstop; z

lFig. v6 is anehlarged; fragmentary sectional de -r tail showing afrontelevational view of the .backfA stop; i and Fig. v'7 is an yenlarged,v fragmentary sectional detail in accordancewith' the index 1-,1 of Fig. 1;

`The base .I` of the ;device is a shallow boxhaving, preferably, a.laminated-bottom comprising a relatively thickupper'sheet 2 superimposed on a relatively thin lower sheet 3 (see Figs. 3, 'l=,,5,,T

6, and 7),:the upper surfaceof the sheet 2 constituting a miniature playing field having appropriately` marked. thereon a diamond 4, a home plate 5, first, second,'and thirdbases 8, 1, and 8, respectively, and foul lines, 9, 9. See Fig. 1. i, scoreboard` lumay also be marked upon said surfaceA at a convenient place behind the diamond,-

as shown. 'IThe .walls of the box,-desi`gnated in their entirety,'.|'|,. serve both as meansfor safe-` ly enclosing removable parts of Vthe devicewhen the same is disassembled in partfor packaging .j and shipment or storage, and as means for preventing .a ground` or grounded ball fromfrolling off fthejfield. lt, will" be understood, of course,

that the walls may also be regarded as repre aseaeee For example, here, in the illustrated embodi'-V` ment, five such pits, |2-l6, inclusive, are grovided in the right field; five similar'pits, Ill-2%;

inclusive, are provided in the left field; 'andeightother pits, 22-29, inclusive, are providedA in the back field.

These pits may be labeled in any suitable man-= ner with scoring indicia.- The following scheme' is `suggested, although nb. labelsare entered in the'fdrawine': 12;` thre'e'ba'sefmm-13; fiy out; 14, two'bas'e'hit; 15,1iyl out; 16,' home run'; 17, ,two base hit; 18, .d'ouble-"p'la'yylg, threeibas'e hit; 20, fly" out; 21', home' run';v 22,*V double play; 23, two base' hit; 24,' fi-outj 25', one "basehit, base runner advan'ees two' ltfases';v 26'; home run; 27,v fly. out';

281; two base'hit; a'n'd" 2779;. sacriflce' fiy, runner scores' from tl'iird'.`

Mounted. on the 'sh'eet Zwithin' the fairwa'y are a' plura'lity'of'trap's' adapt'ed'to' catch and' arres't, undr'certain' circumstances',A a groundor' grounded'ball; These'trap's are of a common construction, each'preferablyl comprising a pair of nearly' recta'ng'ular wiclets; eacliv wicket 'havingrelatively short'le'gs sunkf'ihto or otherwisesuita'bly mounterl` on sheet 2" a'n'd'` a'v relatively, long' h'orizontal' bridge; see Figs. 1, 2, 4,. and 7 Therwicketsvof any" pair are relativel po'sitonedso as to form a'v'fthrough' the'b'o'tto'ni of which a ball m'a'y' n'ot pass. Obviously, of" course, the height' of the bridge of .any' wcket' is' Such' as' to d'efiect'and dtain'fwithi th'e relate'dztr'ap a moderat'ely 'slow ground or'grounded'ball en'tering'the same, althoughit'will be' understoo'd. that 'sucha' ball enterii'fg' the trap'` with considerable' speed might weiljbounceV out of' the' trapf in on'e of' a variety' ofv possible' mann'ers' an'd* enter' another' trap and. proe'e'd'jinto one of the pit's.

Thei'tra'ps*herejshown are-:seven in' number to atzi'o'rd'witl'i'l the fi'eldiplayers'of a'iba'seball game. Trap .3B is near first base;.traps.3| and` 32' in' shortsto'pf posito'n's tr'apf33 nearfthirdjbase'; and tra'p's' 311i 35; an'd'tiin' the field fartl'ier out'from'- the batter. A batted ball coming to rest within' an'y" trap 'ma'y' "b`e'regarded as'having b'een caught and there'fore'represents 'a'fi'y'out I If'desired, aba'ttediball" which contacts a ti'a'p and-is 'not' arreste'd "ther'eby; an'd so escapes', may

be' called: an'- error so'as' to'fa'dvarice all men' on base;

eh'iknd home' plate; in 1`1ewitn-theplat'eandL the pithefs moundf isa pjost' 3'8; the 'lower portion of whicis'insertedlinto afsocket 39 provided: inthe 'rear'portion'ofithe'walls' H (see Figs'. 1, 2; 4, 5:; and').

cantileve'r d'iis'f'sec'u'red tothe top portion' of* thez post 38'3andextends" forwardly slightly beyond'the center'oi?v the' hometplat'e 5: See Fig. 4, particularly; also'iFigs. 1 a'ndiZ.`

Stispended fi'oni'the'cantilever' W' is a filament 4|; whi'ehimay Well b'e a string; threaded through. an'eyel'et 42. in`th'e'f`)rward` p'ortion ofthe cantilever and secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by knotting. At the lower end of the filament M is secured a permanent magnet 43, preferably a simple bar. Normally the magnet 43 hangs just over the center of the home plate 5 and at a predetermined height above the home plate (see below).

Standing before the post 38 is a paramagnetic Shield, or back stop, 44, which may be shaped substantially as shownin thevdrawin'g; An enlarg'ed Viewer" theleft side and front'off the Shield 44 is provided by Figs. 5 and 6.

The Shield M is preferably a rectangular Sheet of steel bent on the top and bottom to provide ft'x'fdflfange's' at 90 to the general body of the Sheet. The-.lower bent porton 45 is secured in any suitablemanner to the upper Sheet 2 (see Figi; ''-;ftnef'upper bent porton 46 is preferably provided with an aperture at 41 through which post 38"may be freely passed. See Figs. 5 and 6.

A target 48.15 showntd' be marked. on the front surfaeeofitl''e shield'Mf'i' Flg's. Zland A.6. Inlthe enlarged* vew',jFig. 6", the t'ar'getiis' showni to be' marked with' the" wordlstrik'e The position of the tar'get ro'ughl' appr'o'xim'at'es Zone within which/a catch'er'would'normally'receivea strike.

` connected.at'l or'ab'out'the wais'tlin'e- 50.

That'po'rtion of'shi'eld' 44 surroun'ding the target rep'r'esents'the'zone'within which' a; catcherfwould normally receive a ball, so-called" in accordance' with th'erules'of baseball;

:thel device' is' provided with' a m'anikin better' 49'." The'rmaniki'h may b'e" va'ri'ously. constructed'v Within'ethe's'cope'of the' invention', but the prefe'r'red' construction is a's follows':

The" m-a'nilrin is' made. in two parts pivotally The. upperv portion' of the' m'aniki'n' i's d'esi'gnated 5.1,. the'lower'portio'i The'lowe'r'portio'n 52 of the maniki'rr is'rigidlsecured to sheet'Z f just to', the,

Thei upper. portionv 5lortne man'ki'n' is' mounte'd'on the fi'xed'lower poi'tion 52``in'`l any suitable ma'nri'er which adapts saidup'peiportion t'o b'e freely'rotatedi upon said' lowfei' 'p'o'r'tion'orf'a' Vertical 'a'xi's- The mani1;in*"arm's -a're' rigi'dly. secured to. the' upper portion .51" an'dalso to ami-niature bat 53. Th'us. when' th'e' upper' portion 51A is rotated. the ba'tiis'm'ov'ed'i siiriulatior'r-o'f'a' swing parallel-'to sheet 2.` The height of .thebat''i'is such that if re'st" over home plate the' bat passeslimmediatel'y beneath themagn'eti suitable means maybe' providedlwhereby the' upper portion'fl of the manikin can beactua'te'd'. Preferably. s'ucliV meansare. a sheathedflexiblecablelSfl of. the typ'e well known inphotogg'r'znao'hic"a'rt's''afsameansl for triggering a shutter. The'o'u't'e'r'v 'endoff the VCable is supplied ingthe usual. mann'er'with a" finger button 5'5, and the innerend of the cableispassed. through anaperture 'of' the lower'pb'rtion 52'. of the manikin an'dis attached in suitable man'ner eccentrically to .the bott'o'm" of' tljfe, upper.. portion 5| of'v the manikin.. Oi'c'o'u'rs'e th'eica'ble maybe provided-in the usual mann'eiflwith, a. compression. spring within the; sl'ie'a'th'` 51;' oiiwithinthe manikin, as desired. It: will' beunde'rstood; ,of course,..that when' the fingeri'button 'is'pr'es'sedthe cabl'e54' moves axially, within it` sh'e'ath' 51? and`v transmits pressure exertedl on' the fi'rigerf button to-the upper. portion 5 I Ioftlie manil'in', Acausingthe same vto rotate and ther'eby swing' the' bat'. Speedl with which the manikin's'irnultes'ithe battingoperationof .course reltes'tofthe: speedfiwith whichthe finger button is -pressed;;and thev ap'parent timing; of the batter' withrespect to pitched balls is,'in fact, the timing i of the player operating the finger button.

The playing ball is preferably of steel, such as afbearing ball, and is approximately scaled to accord;'with the manikin and bat. The ball, wherever shown or indicated in the drawing, is designated B. The ball is required to be paramagnetic,l whatever its material may be; and when placed in contact with the permanent magnet 4,3 near the lower pole thereof automatically positions itself on the bottom of the lmagnet as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, this position being that which most nearlyl represents 'the mean of the force of attraction of the lower pole of the magnet and of gravity. i

If, after the ball has been placed against the lower pole of the magnet, the string vor filament 4| is gently allowed to assume a natural position of. repose, the relationship of the manikin, bat,

ball,.'and magnet will be as illustrated in solid lines in Fig. 4. Cf., also, Fig. l, the plan view,

and Fig. 2, the front elevational view.

The player serving as the pitcher may swing the magnet and'ball forwardly and upwardly. with the filament substantiallytaut, to a position such as is represented by dotted lines inFig. 4; and, when the magnet and ball are so positioned -presumably over the pitcher's mound-- the two.- elements may be released to effect the o pitch. The filament, magnet, and ball operate together as a pendulum, and, accordingly with the amount of bias induced by the player serving as pitcher, swings over the home plate or to the right or left. The ball, if the pendulumswings directly over the home plate, is carried thereover at the height above sheet 2 equal, to the corresponcling height of the manikin's bat.

The player serving as batter may swing the upper portion of the manikin, and, of course, the bat together therewith, at such speed and at such time as his vision, dexterity, and sense of timing make possible for him, in an attempt to strike the oncoming ball. If the bat of the manikin strikes the ball more or less squarely the ball is almost `invariably knocked off the magnet. Its trajectory thereafter and its final destination are naturally governed by physical factors equal to nearly all actually present in the striking of a pitched ball by a human player. A factor not present here, however, is that relating to a moment tending to 'propel the ball deflnitely downward (without respect to the additional pull of gravity) or upward, as the manikin's bat invariably swings in a horizontal plane, and the player serving as batter has no means for changing the plane of the swing. For the purposes of a gaming device of this kind which must necessarily be small it is obviously desirable to eliminate means for changing the batting piane in order to prevent too erratic behavior of the struck ball with respect to the miniature playing field.

If the player serving as batter .judges the oncoming ball to have been released by the pitching player in such manner that the ball will not pass over the home plate, the batting player may advisedly not attempt to strike the ball at all. The paramagnetic backstop M with its target 48 serves as a sort of umpire. If the batting player does not strike at the oncoming pitch. and the magnet Strikes and adheres to the backstop out of the area of the target 48, the -pitch may 'be called a ball; but if the batter faiis to swing and the magnet comes to rest within the target area, where the word Strike is lettered, a strike may be changed against the batter. Likewise, where the batter swings and misses, a strike may be charged against him or not, according to'such rules as vthe players may make up among themselves relating to the position of restfinally assumed by the magnet.

' If a pitched ball is struckby the bat it normally travels forwardly to the field (trajectory a, Figs. 1 and '4), where it mayor may not come to rest within Vone of'the traps 30-46, inclusive, or to the fence (trajectory b, same figures), where it mayor may not come to rest within one of the pits |2-29, inclusive, or over and beyond the wall The game is preferably provided with a plurality of markers M (see Fig. 1 where one is shown on second baseA 1), which may be small disks of Wood or other suitable material, whereby a sort of cumulative visual record of the stage of play may be kept by the players.

Also, the scoreboard Ill may be suitably survfaced to take chalk or other-marks, for facilitating .score keeping. v

I claim: v

y1. In atoylbaseball game, a home plate marker, a bat, mechanism for swinging said bat in a path passing oversaid marker, a magnet suspended for-'pendulous movement and normally hanging at rest over said -marker and abovesaid path, and a paramagnetic ball adapted to be suspended from said magnet and to be carried thereby during pendulous movement thereof to intersect said path whereby said ball may be served across said marker for dislodgment from said magnet by said bat.

2. In a toy baseball game, a home plate marker, a manikin holding a bat and adapted to be manually actuated to swing said bat in a path passing over said marker, a magnet suspended for pendulous movement and normally hanging at rest over said marker and above said path, and a paramagnetic ball adapted to be suspended from said magnet and to be carried thereby during pendulous movement thereof to intersect said path whereby said ball may be served across said marker for dislodgment from said magnet by said bat.

3. In a toy baseball game, a base marked to represent a baseball diamond and including a home plate marker, a plurality of traps on said base representing various players opposing a batter, another 'plurality of traps on said base representing various hits of the game of basebalLa bat, mechanism for swinging said bat in a path passing over said home plate marker, a magnet suspended for pendulous movement and normally hanging at rest over said home plate marker and above said path, and a paramagnetic ball adapted to be suspended from said magnet and to be carried thereby during pendulous movement thereof to intersect said path whereby said ball may be served across said home plate marker for dislodgment from said magnet toward one of said traps by said bat.

4. In a toy baseball game, a home plate marker,

7? pendrlous: morenfrent` anctV rnzuzmall'yA 'hangnga at* restl'orer saiclimarker: and' above sai'dzpath; af paramagnetic'rball adapteclttobe suspenclea'from said; magnetfan'd: tok bezcarried' thereby duringz: pendulous movement thereof to intersect': said" path" wh'ereby vsaid ball' may beziserved; :across 'said markerior dislo dgment'fromfsaid fmagnetv by :saidf bat; anda paramagnetic back stop behind .sad'r marker adapte'd: to arrestf penduloust: movementV off'saidmagnet:

5:' Ina 'toy baseb'all game, a-homeplat'emarker,` a manikin'holclng a' bat'andadapted to be-manually: actuatedfto swing saiclabat inwa path-passing over-1said`marler, a magnetsuspendedfor pendulous movement and normally 'hanging at"1'est' over' said marker: and"'above -said`path, av paran'lagnetc:ball` adapted to be suspendedf fromllsaid magnetfiandto he carried therebyfduring'pendmlous movement: thereoff to intersect said path- Wl'iereby said ball may be'- servecl acrossv4 said:

marlerforl dislodgmentbyisaid bat; and a para'- i beesuspendecl 'fromsaid magnetv and to'be carried thereb'y during' pendulous movement' thereof'fto: intersect' said path Whereby'said ball' may" bel servedf'across said home plate marker'-for'di8- lodamentfrmfisaidi magnet:towarcl':` one.of'sad trapsbyrsaiclzbatand'za-;paramagnetic back;V stopbehind said'liomes'plate marker -adapterl-tol arrestf pendulous movement'of 'said magnet'.

'7. 'Thef'combnatiom of claim- 3 wh'erein"` said? mechanism includes a. manikinrepresenting aa batterl 8-; The1 combination of claim- 6 wherein'- said-1"' mechanismwincludes: al manikinv representng a'f- :batter i 9;' The.- combination of claim 4, including' a' pitcherisr mound marker, and a'V target marked; omsa'id back stop 'in' alignment' with said pitch'er'sf moundvmarker and. said' home plate marker.

10'; Thecombination' of cllaimV 5; includinga* pitchefs mound marker, and. a target marked'fon saidfbackfstop in' alignment with said pitcher's mound marker'and said home plate marker.-

11. The-combination of claim' 6; including' a' 1pitcbter's-m'ound' marker, and a targetmarked'* onv sad'lback stop in alignment'with sadnpitcherie mound marker and said home platermarker:

i' GEORGE. GELLER;

REFERENCES `CITED The following, references are of record in the file ofths patent:

UNITED* STATES- PATENTS Number Name Date 13073383 Schum Sept. 23, 1913" 1 ,536,436f Kolinskrl May 5, 1925; 1,6953524 Welpleyl, Dec. 18., 1928' I,852;401^ De Camps: Apr. 5119321 1,926,'6-124 Day Sept; 12,,1933; 1,963;9'44' Hahn -v r June 19.; 1934; 2477,53! Volman V July 916,1949'l 

